Solar tunnel drying of red chillis (Capsicum annum L.)

The present investigation was aimed to understand the drying efficiency of solar tunnel dryer and to improve the quality of red chillis. An extensive survey of the cultivated regions and drying methods that prevail in Kerala for chilli was conducted. Attappedi area of Palakkad district was identified as the major chilli-growing region In the State. Wet samples of red chillis from two different sampling stations of Attappadi were collected and dried in a tunnel dryer. Both physical and chemical quality analyses of the dried chills were done according to the National and International Standards. The results of quality analyses of both tunnel-dried chilli samples and those chilli samples dried by conventional method, collected from the same sampling locations were compared, Considerable reduction in drying time was noticed in tunnel-dried samples. Improvement in overall quality parameters, cleanliness and texture were noticed in tunnel-dried chilli samples. Optimum conditions required for the drying of red chilli could be identified. Le piment rouge est un condiment indispensable des foyers indiens. Les piments murs sont recoltes a intervalles frequents et seches sur le sol apres amassement pendant une journee dans une piece pour maintenir leur couleur uniforme. Exposes au soleil pendant 6-15 jours, les contaminations physiques et bacteriennes sont inevitables. Des methodes de sechage mecanique, electrique et solaire ont ete developpees recemment. Cette etude a pour but d'evaluer l'efficacite du sechage par tunnel solaire et d'ameliorer la qualite des piments rouges. Des echantillons humides provenant d' Attapadi sont recoltes et seches dans un tunnel solaire. Des controles de qualite physique et chimique des piments secs sont effectues. Les resultats de ces analyses sont compares avec ceux de piments rouges venant des memes endroits et seches par des methodes conventionnelles. La methode par tunnel reduit le temps de sechage et ameliore la qualite du produit.